


More than meets the eye

by DieAstra



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Episode Tag, Episode: s02e19 Lifesigns, Episode: s02e20 Investigations, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:33:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25066957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DieAstra/pseuds/DieAstra
Summary: A little Chakotay/Tom bonding scene, set after episode 2x20 “Investigations”. They have some stuff to talk about.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 15





	More than meets the eye

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Curator](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Curator/gifts).



> Watching the mess hall scene with Tom and Chakotay in „Lifesigns“ is so much harder once you know what really is going on here. This one is for Curator whose stories have brought me so much joy, so I wanted to give something back to you. I hope you’ll like it!

„Computer, locate Tom Paris!“

_„Tom Paris is in holodeck 2.“_

Chakotay went to deck 6. When he stepped through the holodeck doors he had to dodge one of the disks of the Velocity game that Tom and Harry were playing.

“Computer, freeze program!”

Tom and Harry stopped, a bit annoyed that their game was interrupted. Chakotay looked at Tom.

“Can I talk to you? Alone?”

Harry seemed reluctant to go so Tom nodded to him.

“It’s okay, I can handle it.”

Harry shrugged and threw his phaser to Chakotay. He caught it out of reflex.

Once the doors had closed behind Harry, Tom looked at Chakotay in a challenging way.

“Are you just going to stand there or are you going to play?”

Chakotay never was one to back down from a challenge.

“Computer, start a new game!”

After a few minutes of shooting and dodging and scoring alternately Tom finally asked, “You wanted to talk to me?”

He didn’t even sound out of breath. Chakotay’s anger spiked again. How was Tom always so cocky and self-confident?

“Have you ever thought about taking acting classes? You were pretty convincing in the past months, I’ll have to give you that.”

Tom scoffed.

“People are just too willing to believe anything once you have a certain reputation.”

He had a point. Chakotay thought back to their conversation in the mess hall. Was there anything he could have done differently? Had he judged Tom too quickly? How had he not seen through his act sooner?

Tom wasn’t finished yet.

“Maybe you’re just angry that you were left out. Maybe you should talk to Tuvok instead.”

“I’m just coming from him. Funnily, he suggested I talk to you. What I want to know is – did you really mean what you said to me? That I don’t let you do your job?”

Tom was silent for a while, pondering this question.

“I guess in every lie there is a little bit of truth,” he finally admitted.

Then he shot the last disk and it impacted with Chakotay.

_“Full Impact. Final round to Paris. Winner: Paris.”_

The game was over but the conversation was not. Now they were able to face each other without any distraction. Chakotay thought about what Tom had said.

“I will try to be more open-minded next time you have a suggestion.”

Tom looked surprised at that.

“Thanks, commander?”

“But I just want to know how. How were you able to look me right into the face saying those things? Without any remorse?”

Tom started to shout now.

“You think it was easy? You think lying to all my friends comes naturally to me? Well, you’re wrong. I hated every minute of it. But I did what needed to be done and what I had been asked to do. End of story.”

“Friends?” 

That came out of left field. Chakotay had not considered Tom Paris a friend. He was a good pilot, yes, but he somehow always rubbed him the wrong way.

“Well, I thought after saving your life you might think differently of me. Maybe I was wrong.”

Chakotay did not like the sound of defeat in Tom’s voice.

“You know that I’m grateful for that. And that I hope one day I will be able to repay you. Speaking of repays – what did you actually do with all those replicator rations you won in that game of yours that you had set up?”

“I gave them to Neelix. He will be using them if he sees someone needing some special extra. I did not use a single one of them. What do you think of me?”

Chakotay could see that his indignation was honest. No lying here. He approved.

“Has Neelix told you about the good-bye message he made? The whole ship watched it. I have to admit it was really touching.”

“He has told me. I haven’t watched it though.”

“Maybe you should. It might make you feel better.” 

“I’ll think about it. And have you watched Neelix' latest transmission yet?”

“I haven’t had time for it yet.”

“There may be an apology in there somewhere. Look, I’m sorry, Chakotay. I hope not having to do something like this anytime soon again.”

Chakotay realized that in the end the two of them weren’t so different. He too had had his fair share of being misunderstood, of wanting – and failing – to prove himself again and again to his father. It did make you change, it made you behave in the way people expect you to behave.

It made you feel always at unease with yourself.

Maybe Tom was right. 

Maybe they could become friends after all.

Smiling at Tom, he asked, “What do you say? Another round?”

Tom smiled back, visibly relieved.

“Always! But this time I won’t be going easy on you!”

“You were going easy on me? I thought I was going easy on you!”

The End


End file.
